The dead bodies of 39 people have been discovered in the back of a transport truck in Essex, east of London, England.
UK authorities believe that the truck originated in Bulgaria and entered the UK through the Welsh port of Holyhead sometime this past weekend.
A 25-year-old truck driver from Northern Ireland has been arrested on "suspicion of murder".
Essex Police Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner explained to CNN that identifying the bodies will be no small feat:
"We are in the process of identifying the victims, however I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process."
Several public officials have responded to news of the incident, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who assured concerned residents that he was receiving "regular updates" to determine oncoming details regarding the case.
"This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives," Chief Mariner said. "Our inquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened."
A helpline has been set up for the public to call with any additional information that they may have. The investigation is still ongoing.
h/t: CNN
